About Us

Driven to empower the Black community by
providing life changing opportunities

A hub for Black inclusivity

The Black Inclusivity Catalyst was established by Imperial to drive greater participation in STEM and business within the Black community. We serve as a hub of discovery, providing access to essential support and opportunities that empowers Black students and individuals from the Black community to discover a career in STEM or business.


Our Events and Programmes

Each year, we host a range of events and programmes dedicated to helping students of Black heritage explore and discover study and career pathways in STEM and business.

→ Black Inclusivity Catalyst events and programmes

Black Inclusivity Champions we work with

We work with academics, business leaders, and organisations to provide the Black community with resources and
opportunities to enter university, advance to postgraduate studies, launch startups, and develop a career in STEM and business.

What we have achieved to date

Download the report from our previous years
activities to discover more about what we
have achieved so far.

→ Download report

The Black Inclusivity Catalyst team

The Black Inclusivity Catalyst is led by a team of Imperial academics that have been working at the forefront of Black inclusivity initiatives for over two decades. Working with organisations and thought-leaders in academia and the Black community, they develop solutions that address the challenges Black individuals face when pursuing careers in STEM or business.

Dr Sunday Popo-Ola
Director, R²Frontiers in Bioscience, Computing, Engineering and Physics
Dr. Sunday Popo-Ola, Research and Teaching Fellow at Imperial, specialises in Concrete & Steel Structures and Environmental Systems. Winner of Imperial’s inaugural Equality and Diversity Award, he founded Creative Futures – Achieving Your Potential, inspiring young learners to excel.
Dr Wayne Mitchell
Assistant Provost, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Dr. Wayne Mitchell, Associate Provost (EDI) and teacher in Immunology and Inflammation at Imperial College London, is committed to fostering an inclusive academic environment while inspiring the next generation of leaders in medicine and research.

Professor Sara Rankin
Professor of Leukocyte and Stem Cell Biology at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial
Sara Rankin FRSB, Professor of Leukocyte and Stem Cell Biology at Imperial College London, excels in stimulating bone marrow stem cells for tissue repair. A passionate neurodiversity advocate, she collaborates with Imperial's Neurodiversity Champions™ network to foster inclusivity in research.